Charles Gordon Curtis

Charles Gordon Curtis (April 20, 1860 in Boston - March 1953 in Central Islip, Suffolk County, New York) was an American engineer, inventor and patent attorney. He is best known as the developer of the eponymous Curtis steam turbine.

Life and work

Curtis studied until 1881 in Civil Engineering at Columbia University in New York, followed by two years of Law at New York Law School. After graduating in 1883 Curtis worked first as a patent attorney before 1891 decides to change to the industry and for the Crocker & Curtis Electrical Motor Company in the development of electric motors and fans to work.

Steam turbine

In 1896, Curtis has patented two types of steam turbines. He combined the principles of the Laval turbine and the Parsons turbine into a multi-stage impulse turbine (similar to the independently developed Rateau Turbine). Although Curtis turbine reached a lower efficiency than the Parsons' turbine, however, it was much smaller and simpler in structure and thus very suitable for simple applications and for mobile use, eg. on steamships.

Curtis spoke to various companies on the preparation of its turbines, but was initially not interested until he Edwin W. Rice of General Electric. In 1897, GE Curtis turbines forth; in 1901 sold the rights to his patent Curtis at GE that this type of turbine over many years in the vertical (see picture) and horizontal design, especially in power plants began. Finally, here the Parsons turbine sat but by reason of better efficiency.

For use as a marine propulsion the Curtis turbine was developed by the International Marine Curtis Turbine Company, which in turn licensed it to the British shipyard John Brown & Company. The latter built the Brown-Curtis-Turbine used in many ships in the Royal Navy.

1910, Curtis steam turbines for its development the Rumford Premium Prize of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Gas turbine and others

In addition to the steam turbine Curtis developed in 1899, he developed the first functioning gas turbine in the United States. To this end, Curtis received in 1948 the annual award of the gas turbine Division of ASME and 1950 Holley Medal of ASME.

In addition to the above mentioned turbines Curtis worked as well on improvements to internal combustion engines (on two-stroke diesel engines) and on the drive of torpedoes.

References

• Encyclopædia Britannica Online: Charles Gordon Curtis (14 Oct. 2008)